Online Blind Dating – Going From “url” to “irl” (in Real Life)

OK so you’ve been doing the Online dating thing for a while, you’ve posted your profile, and you’ve sent out a few winks, you’ve made a connection. Great. You’ve been e-mailing back and forth and now think, OK this is a person a may want to meet. What now?

There are several things to keep in mind while planning that first meeting with someone you have met online. While Online matchmaking especially when using a well-respected service like True or Match.com, is generally considered safe; there are still some precautions you should take to ensure not only that you have a great date, but your personal safety. And don’t think that it us only women that need to be concerned about safety issues and online dating. Cyberspace is a breeding ground for scammers and con-artists of both sexes. There has been many a guy who has been taken for a ride literally and figuratively, by an unscrupulous “Fem Fatale” they met online. Ideally, being able to talk face-to-face via webcam such as using online speed dating and blind date service provided by 15minuteDate.com will weed out predators and encourage members to be more realistic about who they are.

As we talk about safety issues, please don’t get the impression that the Online matchmaking world is filled with vampires or other unsavory types looking for a bite or worse – seriously; most of the time you will be taking precautions that turn out to be unnecessary but it always sensible to err on the side of caution. Before considering meeting in person the next step should be to exchange phone numbers, if someone is hesitant about giving you their number, refuses or will only give you a work number, you should think twice about meeting this person. On the other hand be cautious about giving your home number, because it is possible for people to do reverse searches and find your address from you phone number, for this reason it may be better to only give your cell number. Talk a few times on the phone –see if the connection you thought was there follows in open conversation as it was in text and e-mails. After a few phone conversations you should be able to tell if this person does not “sound” like the type of person you thought they were when you were communicating online. If something doesn’t feel right to you, go with your guts and move on, but if you feel that this is someone you really want to meet, set up the meeting, after all while having online relationships can be a fun social interaction, meeting someone and possibly forming a real relationship is what most of us signed up for.

It is absolutely normal to feel nervous about meeting for the first time, but remember relax; this is not a 100% “blind date” since you already know this person – to a point. Still, definitely set up the meeting in a public place. There is very little chance that something untoward can happen in a public restaurant or café. If it does turn out that the person was not what you expected, you can always leave securely from a public place. As will most likely be the case, if all goes well you can select a somewhat more intimate setting for the next meeting. A partner that is looking for the same kind of relationship that you are will respect your desire to move things along slowly.

While it is unlikely that anything unpleasant will occur - you can wind up just having a bad date. Not to worry, if you meet IRL and do not connect, there is no shame – you still have your membership and your profile up and working, and there will likely be dozens of other e-mails in you inbox to respond to when you get home - and one of them may just be the love of your life. It is just like a speed dating session. In speed dating you just keep moving to the next person and eventually you find the one you are looking for. That is the great thing about Online Dating. And now you already have taken the first step in knowing how to deal with moving from online dating to the real world, so the next IRL date with the next person will be that much easier. On the other hand, if it goes great – congratulations! You can now be excited and relieved that all the time you took to make sure this person was everything you hoped they’d be has paid off.